Change my view: Foreman never has an easy time with Lyle

I’ll say the Old Man George comeback version is more measured and uses his jab well and has an easier time with Lyle. Say the George of Holyfield. I don’t think Lyle would be able to hit him like Holy did because Lyle wasn’t fast of hand nor foot and wasn’t the combination puncher that Evander was.

 

Lyle actually launched a comeback in 1995, and went 4-0 (4 KOs). Lyle actually weighed 222 for the last of those fights, which was about about he weighed in his prime.

I always thought that he was chasing a Foreman rematch/payday, though I don't recall Lyle himself stating that. I know it's not exactly what the OP was looking for, but maybe George has an easy time with him then.

 

As mentioned in another thread, George Foreman had been snake bitten by Muhammad Ali in Oct 1974. So when George Foreman fought Ron Lyle in Jan 1976, he had a very deflated ego, he knew then that getting knocked out was a real possibility, because it happened at the hands of a 32 year old former champion. If Lyle had fought a pre Zaire Foreman, it may have been different fighting an all offense seek and destroy Foreman, who destroyed Joe Frazier and Ken Norton. George had D. Sadler and Archie Moore in his corner in 1974, and Lyle was no Ali. In 1976, George aquired Gil Clancy as his new trainer, Clancy tried to make George more of a boxer, that style failed for Foreman as he was easy to hit without a violent response like in his previous years before Zaire. The new styled Foreman was easily outpointed by powder punching Jimmy Young on March 17 1977. In my opinion, Lyle would have been dispatched by George very easily in 1974, no knockdown, only the year before, Lyle was easily defeated by Jerry Quarry on points.

 

That's definitely what Lyle was hoping for. Would have been so easy to market.

"In 1976, they first fought. This happened." *insert few seconds of clips of the rubber match mayhem* "Now, after 20 years, they're going to fight again." *insert clip of old Foreman knocking out a few guys* *insert a clip of old Lyle knocking outa few guys* "They both can still fight. Live on HBO in May..."

 

What's often not talked about is that Foreman might of stopped Lyle in the 2nd round had the round not been 2 minutes long. Foreman had Lyle is desperate trouble and that was huge slice of fortune for Lyle in all honestly.

As for the thread question Foreman wasn't in the best place mentally, and was rusty not having a proper fight since the Ali loss. I don't count that farce exhibition where Foreman fought 5 guys in one fight.

Foreman wasn't always wild even in his early career look at Norton fight where he stalked Norton patiently waiting for his moment to unload.

I think a less rusty version of Foreman before the Ali loss probably stops Lyle sooner IMO without the wild fight we had in 76.

 

Yes to your points, I though Foreman looked sloppy against Lyle and he had to win that fight on guts , power and determination .I'd never considered the fact that Gil Clancy, who I respect, didn't seem to make George any better. Maybe no one could have at that point in Foreman's life but I also think the earlier version of George does much better with Lyle.

 

Lyle was 54 years old. Foreman had the lineal belt. Fighting someone almost a decade older than him would have been derided. Even with the history.

Thats around the age Tyson was when he fought Roy Jones.

 

Agreed.

 

Agreed.

The post Zaire Foreman was trained to accent on pacing/meter so as to not run out of gas in the later rounds if it got there.

A style truly more geared toward boxer types, especially the more slippery and evasive ones.

Also, it should’ve been an optioned style, elected and employed as and when appropriate but I guess early in his post Zaire career, the utilisation of Foreman’s new found pacing amounted to good practice - even if it wasn’t really necessary for the opponent at hand.

George looked great boxing and pacing himself in the Frazier rematch.

But really, if George fought as he did the first time he faced Joe, I think he likely would’ve got Frazier out of there just as easily and just as quickly as he did in Jamaica.

Imo, pre Zaire Foreman, employing the previous style and carrying the same bad intentions he used to have, has a much better chance of getting to Lyle more quickly, before Ronnie can land anything significant himself.

Not to preclude the possibility that George vs Ron comprised the right blend of power, durability and stylistic mesh that might’ve always promised for some fireworks between the pair.

But I think, perhaps, Zaire had to at least have run its course for Lyle to be able to ignore the possible dangers and actually see the merits in launching lead right hands at Foreman.

Not saying Lyle didn’t have the balls to do same at any time but no one really did do it until Ali turned the trick with surprising success in Zaire.

With obviously more oomph to his right than Ali had, it stands to reason as to why Lyle saw more dramatic success, at least early, in his fight with Foreman.

 

Young George was pretty easy to hit IF you could withstand his barrage. It's a big IF and George backed himself in a battle of bombs against anybody. Rightly so, given his power. Older George would have been more circumspect and probably had an easier time with Lyle. The fight would have likely gone longer as George waited for an opening but he would have had a much more routine win in my opinion.

Either way, that battle with Lyle is as great a fight as you will ever see. There was not a defensive braincell between them and it made for fantastic viewing.